1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner having an indoor unit provided in a room for cooing and heating a room.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, an air conditioner is an apparatus for controlling temperature and humidity of air in a particular area according to a use. As an example of the air conditioner, there is an apparatus having a compressor and a heat exchanger for flowing refrigerant to cool or heat such an indoor space as a housing space, a dining room, a library, or an office.
Generally, the air conditioner is divided into an integrated type air conditioner and a separate type air conditioner. The integrated type air conditioner has an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, the units formed as a single body, has heating and cooling functions, and is directly mounted on a wall of a house by boring a hole or by hanging on a window.
Meanwhile, the separate type air conditioner includes the indoor unit having the heat exchanger for cooling or heating a room, and an outdoor unit, the outdoor unit including the heat exchanger for heat exchanging with outdoor air, and the compressor for compressing the refrigerant with a high pressure and discharging the refrigerant. In this case, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are separately mounted at an inside and outside of the room, respectively, and connected with each other via a refrigerant pipe.
Hereinafter, the indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner in accordance with the related art is described referring to appended drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner in accordance with the related art, and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing an indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner in accordance with the related art.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner in accordance with the related art includes a cabinet 10, a heat exchanger 20, and a fan 30 provided at a lower part of the heat exchanger 20 and forcing air to flow.
In this case, a front air inlet (not shown) is provided on a front surface of the cabinet 10, a top air inlet (not shown) is provided on a top surface thereof, and an air outlet 11 is provided at a lower part thereof.
A front suction grill 12 and a top suction grill for ventilation are provided respectively at the front air inlet and the top air inlet. In this case, the top suction grill and the cabinet 10 are formed as a single body.
A front filter 14 for purifying the air drawn in through the front suction inlet is provided in the front suction grill 12. Meanwhile, the cabinet 10 includes a louver 15 for adjusting a left/right direction of the air discharged to the air outlet 11, and a vein 16 for adjusting an up/down direction of the air discharged to the air outlet 11.
The indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the related art with the structure mentioned above draws air from outside of the cabinet 10 through the operation of the fan, i.e., from the room. The air drawn into the indoor unit is cooled or heated at the heat exchanger 20 and then discharged to the room so as to cool or heat the room.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the related art, only the air drawn through the front grill 12 is purified by the front filter 14, and the air drawn through the lop air inlet is just discharged to the room without being purified, thereby causing a problem that the air cleaning fraction is insufficiently performed.
Furthermore, in case that a filter is separately provided for purifying the air drawn through the top air inlet, there are problems that a manufacturing cost is increased, and, due to the decrease of the spaces for mounting other elements such as the heat exchanger 20 and the fan 30 provided in the cabinet, that the heat exchanging function and the suction function are lowered.
In addition, since the whole indoor unit is operated for performing the air cleaning function, there is a problem of wasting energy.